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Takeover Rumours

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article just published in the FT, not much that we don't already know apart from his other sports interests... can't link to it as it's behind pay wall


The owners of Sunderland AFC are in talks to sell the club to MSD Capital, a group of US investors best known for running the fortune of billionaire Michael Dell, according to people familiar with the transaction. Mr Dell, who recently relisted his computer group, is expected to participate in the deal but will be a passive, minority investor in support of his longstanding business partners, one of these people said.
The potential sale comes after several months of searching for a buyer for the English third division football club by Stewart Donald, a British insurance executive. Mr Donald acquired Sunderland last year from Ellis Short, the private equity executive, who ploughed money into the club over the course of his decade-long ownership, which ended after successive relegations.
A person briefed on the transaction said Mr Donald was likely to retain a stake in the club.
He and co-owner Charlie Methven will continue to be involved with the running of the club, the person added. The trio of US investors will be the controlling owners if a deal is finalised. Those briefed on the talks said that a deal is close but has not been completed yet. The takeover will also require approval from the league. A deal for the club would mark the latest foreign entry into English football, an investment that carries considerable risk given the prospect of relegation, a concept that does not exist in major US sports.
Sunderland, which has a 49,000-seat capacity at its Stadium of Light, was relegated out of the Premier League, the top division in English football, after 2016-17 season. It then unexpectedly dropped down to the Championship, the second tier, the following year.
The events of that season were captured in the 2018 Netflix sports documentary series Sunderland ’Til I Die, which chronicled their falling out of the Championship. The club vied for promotion back into the Championship but missed out after losing in a playoff against Charlton Athletic. Sunderland now plays in League One, the third tier of English football.
MSD Capital, set up more than two decades ago by Mr Dell to manage his fortune, is an active investor in sports teams including Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.
 
abbs said:
Aren’t the days of wealthy backers pumping money into clubs finished with all this financial fair play crap ?

not one to put a dampener on things or owt like that ,
Just wondering
Click to expand...
Aye I mean Man City make all the money via the club they’ve spent in the past few years. Ways round it man, just clever sponsorships etc. We are league wannn atm we shouldn’t need huge money for at least a season or two. Smart investments behind the scenes will be the key to getting us back to the premier league, rather than tossing tens of millions at players.
 
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